Sources in Ghazni say that the driver of a municipal bulldozer was killed following a clash between local residents and a Taliban commission tasked with preventing land grabbing.
The clash took place yesterday (Tuesday, 27 Asad) in the Qala-e Joz area of the third security district of Ghazni city.
According to sources, local residents resisted the activities of the municipality and the Taliban’s Commission for the Prevention of Land Grabbing, which was seeking to reclaim land that had been designated as “state-owned.” The residents reportedly threw stones at members of the commission.
Videos circulated on social media show people throwing stones at a bulldozer and a Taliban Ranger vehicle.
Sources say the driver of the Ghazni municipality’s bulldozer died after being struck by a stone.
The Taliban’s police command in Ghazni has also confirmed the clash, saying that a verbal dispute initially broke out between the Commission for the Prevention of Land Grabbing and several local residents over land ownership. The residents then reportedly threw stones at a “crane” operator.
According to a statement issued by the Taliban police command, the injured crane operator was transferred to Kabul for treatment but later died from the severity of his injuries.
The Taliban police command in Ghazni added that several suspects have been arrested in connection with the incident and that an investigation is ongoing.
The Taliban are rapidly pursuing the process of reclaiming what they describe as illegally seized land across the country. The group has so far declared several residential developments to be state-owned, including some whose owners say they possess legally valid ownership documents.
Writer:Salima Aryaei
